Out of Their Box

Out of my Box

Stampede 101

The city of Calgary and thousands of volunteers miraculously evacuated all the water and sludge from the Stampede buildings and grounds and "Come Hell Or High Water " the show went on! We celebrated at a pancake breakfast with many friends at the CWC, then with Pat and Harold at "Nashville North" and the rodeo, and shared  traditional grub (including "Those Little Doughnuts"), then  with curling friends at the "Wild Horse Saloon" downtown, then at a  "Shindig" at the CWC, with beef, beans, bull riding and dancing to a live C&W band, and finally with the Taits and all their neighbors at the annual "Hobart Road Breakfast".

High River Help

Our friends Pat and Harold were severely effected by the recent flooding. Only yesterday (Canada Day ) were they allowed to enter and witness damage.  There are four levels: green-no damage, yellow: minor flooding but power panel not damaged, orange: major flooding with no power and  basement demolition required   and red: total demolition. They are in the orange category, living only four blocks from the Highwood River. We had to , amidst inches of sludge, haul out ruined  furniture, appliances, precious photo albums, sports gear, clothes, soggy carpet and underlay and ALL the other items one would store in a basement.I looked like a mud wressler! Ten of us worked all day and the nearby Hutterites provided sandwiches and water: an example of how people come together in times of need.